Chillies - Capsicum sp.

 
There are hundreds of chilli varieties and we grow just a handful in our garden, but the ones we do grow, we choose because they are easy to grow and produce fruits we like. Each is different, but all the varieties we grow have something extra-special that is rarely found in chillies bought from the shops.

At present, we have seeds of the following varieties available, but we will be adding to this list next year:

Aji limon
Aji omnicolor
Nepalese heirloom
Pimiento de Padron
Rocoto

Here are a few general notes on how to grow chillies. For more specific information on each variety, follow the links above.

Germination of chilli seeds is often erratic so it is best to sow more seeds than you need as a few might not germinate at all.
 
Seeds are best started early, late January to mid-March. They need warmth to germinate. A heat mat works well but a warm room will suffice, as long as nights are not too cold. We germinate ours indoors. Our heating keeps day temperatures around 20-23 C but during the night it can drop to 6-8 C for a few hours. This seems to be okay.
 
Sow seeds together in a seed tray, or if in individual pots, sow two or three seeds in each. A light, not soil-based, general-purpose compost is fine for all stages of growth (it is even better mixed 50-50 with coir fibre). Most seeds should germinate within one to two weeks. Pot up seedlings into 8-9 cm pots when they are large enough to handle. They should not suffer much from transplanting, even if the roots are disturbed.
 
Young chilli plants don't need strong light and will be happy on a windowsill until the weather is warm enough to go into a greenhouse or outside. Nights should be around 10C or above before transferring (although some varieties will stand much lower temperatures when mature, young plants are more sensitive to low temperatures).
 
At this stage, repot into minimum 7 litre pots (the bigger the pot, the bigger the plant – some varieties can grow very large and will fill 25l pots if given the chance).
 
Don’t worry if your plants react badly to the change of environment. The sudden increase in light intensity or spiking daytime temperatures can stunt growth and occasionally cause leaf damage, but plants will recover within a week and start pumping out new growth (if the plants were badly shocked, don’t be surprised if all the older leaves fall off as the new growth is appearing).
 
Chillies should not be watered too freely. Better to let plants dry out and even start wilting rather than over-water. They are also not heavy feeders. In our experience, watering with dilute feed (half-strength compared to tomatoes or cucumbers) once a fortnight is enough. We have used liquid seaweed extract, commercial organic tomato feed and our own nettle/comfrey feed and all have shown good results.